Bwv 1044

The Collegium Aureum, a loose association of soloists and conservatory teachers, was founded in 1962 by the Freiburg (Germany) based record company Harmonia Mundi. From the very beginning the ensemble has dedicated itself to the meritorious task of reviving historical performance practices in order to convey an impression of the music’s authentic sound. This “resurrected court orchestra” plays works of the Baroque, the Classical, as well as the Romantic periods on historical instruments.

Le prestigieux Collegium Musicum créé par Telemann fut l'orchestre attitré de Bach lorsqu'il prit ses fonctions à Leipzig. Il put ainsi tester avec cette formation de nouvelles associations de timbres que l'on retrouve dans le Concerto pour clavecin BWV 1052, le Concerto pour piano forte en si bémol majeur et le Triple Concerto BWV 1044. Il s'agit parfois de transcriptions et d'adaptations, d'œuvres originellement pour violon, mais le résultat est étonnant de brio et de force expressive. Il faut écouter ce fameux Triple Concerto pour flûte, violon, clavecin et cordes porté par les couleurs de l'Akademie für Alte Musik : on y retrouve l'impulsion rythmique, la richesse de tempérament du Concerto Brandebourgeois n° 5, un esprit de danse et de fête qui privilégient sans conteste le clavier.

ohann Sebastian Bach - Musica Alta Ripa - Solo Concertos Vol. 4
Triple Concertp BWV 1044, Harpsichord Concertos BWV 1061, 1062, Italian Concerto BWV 971
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 386 MB | Full Artwork: 71 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: MDG "Gold" # 309 0684-2 | Country/Year: Germany 1999
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque

"These are fine and extroverted performances of some alternate instrumentations of familiar Bach concertos…The solo playing is remarkable, and Rohrig and Kaiser blend and contrast their sounds beautifully…Rudolf Innig makes a real case for the piece [G-minor S 1058] as a harpsichord concerto…[and] The E-major Violin Concerto…also sounds appropriately baroque in its texture…"

Johann Sebastian Bach - Musica Alta Ripa - Solo Concertos Vol. 1-4
4xCD | EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 340/397/394/386 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: MDG "Gold" # 309 0681/4-2 | Country/Year: Germany 1996-1999
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque

"… meets their high standard. Warmly recommended." ~Fanfare

For those that prefer to hear these works on piano rather than harpsichord, you can hardly find more enjoyable, illuminating, and elegant performances than these. Andras Schiff has surely become one of the most prominent proponents of J.S. Bach on the piano and its hard to believe these particular discs were ever allowed to slip from commercial availability. Their re-issue here is reason to rejoice. It is with good reason that another chapter in the career of Andras Schiff has started recently with his new series of Beethoven Sonatas on ECM, and of course more Bach. He is a true master, and the Bach Concerto recordings with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, led by Schiff himself, exemplify this and count as essential listening.

This disc offers balanced repertoire, virtuosic performances, life-like sound, and beautiful cover reproduction. As in the previous three recordings of Bach's concertos by Café Zimmermann, the program here balances soloists and tonalities for maximum effectiveness. The disc starts with the moving Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041; follows it with the cheerful Concerto for two harpsichords in C major, BWV 1061; follows that with melancholy in the Concerto for flute, violin and harpsichord in A minor, BWV 1044; and concludes with the joyous Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 for trumpet, recorder, oboe and violin in F major (BWV 1047).